Birdnow's Aviary

April 27, 2020

The Industrial Slowdown Heals the Ozone Hole - Except it Didn't

Timothy Birdnow

A week or two ago I made a modest proposal; I suggested that, since ultraviolet kills viruses, we should ramp up our use of freon and CFC's to thin the ozone layer and increase uv insolation of the planet Greater uv exposure should kill of this CV 19 virus nicely, I argued, and so, inspired by the geoengineering projects suggested by the Climate Change gurus, I suggested we geoengineer the planet to stem this terrible pandemic.

I fear my idea was not enthusiastically received.

Especially not from Mother Earth, who took the occasion to close up the ozone hole.

Mother Nature can be such a puta.

While we are all under lockdown amid coronavirus, nature is doing its bit to heal itself from the harmful effects of the environment caused by man-made air pollution over the years. What comes a positive is that the largest hole in the Ozone layer-- spreading 1 million square kilometres-- above the Arctic has closed due to unusual atmospheric conditions.

The hole was first identified by scientists in March earlier this year. Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Services (CAMS) by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) confirmed the development.

Sharing a post on the micro-blogging website, Copernicus ECMWF wrote, "The unprecedented 2020 northern hemisphere #OzoneHole has come to an end. The #PolarVortex split, allowing #ozone-rich air into the Arctic, closely matching last week's forecast from the #CopernicusAtmosphere Monitoring Service."

The unprecedented 2020 northern hemisphere #OzoneHole has come to an end. The #PolarVortex split, allowing #ozone-rich air into the Arctic, closely matching last week's forecast

After leading the casual reader into believing this closure is a result of changes in human industrial emissions, the writer contradicts himself, admitting this has little to do with it:

But, the closing of the hole has nothing to do too with the reduction in levels of pollution amid lockdown. It's because of the polar vortex, high-altitude currents that are responsible for bringing cold air to polar regions.

Such holes in the ozone layer are quite common above the Antarctic at the South Pole especially during July to September but, the ozone layer hole above the Arctic at this time was unusual.

It is believed that the polar vortex, the high-altitude currents that are responsible for bringing cold air to the polar regions, is responsible for the healing of the layer.

So why credit the drop in industrial emissions at the beginning of the article?

Because the author knows most people only read the first paragraph or two. He does not want to admit that Nature made this happen. He wants to promote the environmentalist position that industry is destroying the planet and this does not comport with that claim. So he starts the article with the suggestion this is happening because of the lockdown then, to cover himself, admits the truth at the bottom of the article. It's very devious and underhanded - but par for the course for so much reporting we see these days.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 08:59 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 Higher levels of ultraviolet does more than kill viruses. It causes skin cancer, leads to blindness for several reasons, causes (mostly harmful) mutations in both plants and animals, kills beneficial bacteria, and interferes with photosynthesis.

Posted by: Bill H at April 27, 2020 11:01 AM (vMiSr)

2 I know Bill; that's why it's my "modest proposal". Swift advocated eating Irish children; I haven't gone THAT far!

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at April 27, 2020 11:56 AM (lFjgr)

3 Ah, don'tcha know Irish children taste better because of the potatoes?

Posted by: Dana Mathewson at April 27, 2020 11:13 PM (W2Lkb)

4 Aye Dana... and a little sprinkle of leprechaun dust...

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at April 28, 2020 07:41 AM (Wolb4)

5 Of course. Along with butter, salt, pepper, and some Guinness to wash it all down.

Posted by: Dana Mathewson at April 28, 2020 11:17 AM (Cicxr)

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